C-type fastener



Dec. 19, 1967 R. A. MUNSE 3,358,729

C-TYPE FASTENER Filed April 25, 1966 INVENTOR.

FIG 7 ROBERT AJmmsE United States Patent 3,358,729 C-TYPE FASTENERRobert A. Munse, Perrysburg, Ohio, assignor to The Bishop and BabcockCorporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 25, 1966,Ser. No. 544,988 4 Claims. (Cl. 151--41.75)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A generally C-shape fastener is formed of asingle piece of spring sheet metal bent to provide upper and lower armsjoined along corresponding edges by a connecting portion which extendsupwardly at about a right angle from the lower arm. The lower arm is aflat plate with a hole there through for accommodating a screw. Theupper arm includes a pair of spaced strips which overlie the lower arm,which strips are each connected at one end to the connecting portion andextend therefrom towards the mouth of the C, and normally inclinetowards the lower arm. The ends of the spring strips remote from theconnecting portion are bent upwardly along a bend line away from thelower arm to become part of an upwardly inclined panel. The panelextends across the remote ends of the strips. Integral with the panel isa main plate which has a free end portion extending back between thestrips towards the connecting portion, and which overlies the lower arm.The plate bears a nut impression, and on the free edge of the plate is adownwardly extending lip which functions as a stop when the clip isengaged over a work piece. The main plate joins the panel along a bendline which coincides with the line of bend at the junctures of thespring strips and the panel, and with this arrangement the main platealways lies substantially parallel to the lower arm, regardless of thethickness of the work piece.

This invention relates to sheet metal fasteners but particularly to nutmeans equipped C-type fasteners for application to apertured supportingpanels.

Fasteners of the C-type have heretofore been developed which are adaptedto engage panels of different thicknesses and dispose the nut means inposition for screw application, thereby eliminating the necessity ofhaving individual fasteners for each panel thickness. Reference is madeto the US. patent to Hartman et al. 2,581,481, dated Jan. 8, 1952, whichshows a fastener of this character. However, prior fasteners of thistype do not satisfactorily align the nut means with the panel aperture,are difficult to apply, or are complicated in design and costly toproduce.

An object of this invention is to produce a new and improved C-clip ofthe above character which is simple and inexpensive to produce on alarge quantity basis, can be simply applied to apertured panels ofdifferent thicknesses so as to embrace same with the nut means properlydisposed relative to the panel aperture for screw reception, and isdesigned to impart substantial spring pressure against the supportingpanel without militating against relatively easy application thereto.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodimentof the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a C-clip fastener embodying theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of an apertured panel towhich the fastener shown in FIGURE 1 is adapted to be applied;

3,358,729 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectionalelevation on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the fastener applied to a relativelythick panel and showing a screw applied thereto; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the fastener applied to a relativelythin panel.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a unitary sheetmetal C-type clip having an upper arm portion 10 and a lower arm portion11, the two arm portions being connected by an upright connectingportion 12. The upper arm portion has a pair of laterally spaced narrowspring arms or strips 13, which incline downwardly and forwardly fromthe connecting portion 12. The forward ends of the strips 13 terminatein an up wardly and outwardly inclined transverse panel 14, the bendlines 14 providing the jointure between the panel 14 and the respectivestrips 13.

Between the side arms or strips 13 is a main plate 15, there being slitsor slots 16 at opposite ends of the plate 15 extending into thetransverse panel 14 to enhance the flexibility of the plate 15 relativeto the panel 14. The slits 16 extend transversely to suit the design,balance and strength of the panel 14 and plate 15. The plate 15 along abend line 15', which is approximately in alignment with the bend lines14, is disposed in a plane substantially parallel with the lower armportion 11, the latter constituting a flat plate disposed at about rightangles to the connecting portion 12. The free or rearward end of themain plate 15 has a downturned lip 16', which is coextensive therewithand is in parallel relation to the connecting portion 12.

Manifestly, the main plate 15 and lip 16' are severed from the fastenerbody by slitting the metal along laterally spaced lines and a transverseconnecting line at one end so that the connecting portion 12 haslaterally spaced short vertical arms 12 connecting respectively at theirupper ends to the inclined arms or strips 13 and at their lower ends toa lower transverse panel portion 12".

The main plate 15 has a central nut impression 17, which in thisinstance is in the form of the well-known Prestole. As shown it has afrusto-conical protuberance a formed with the radial slit b, and acentral hole 0, the edge of which is in the form of a helix adaptedthreadedly to engage a screw. Struck from the base of the protuberance aat the front portion thereof is a downwardly extending finger 18 whichserves as a locator to enter the hole in the supporting panel, as willhereinafter appear. It will be observed from an examination of FIGURE 3that the finger 18 is inclined rearwardly to enable it to ride readilyover the surface of the supporting panel.

As above pointed out, the lower arm portion 11 of the clip is in theform of a Hate plate which is of approximately the same length and widthas the upper arm portion 10. Formed in the plate beneath the nutimpression 17 is an elongated hole 19 so that a screw passing throughthe hole 19 is adapted to enter and threadedly engage the nut impression17.

The fastener above described is adapted to he slipped over an edgeportion of a supporting panel P, which has an elongate hole H adapted toregister with the hole 19 in the plate 11. It will be understood thatthe car 18 snaps into the hole H and serves as a locator to insure thatthe fastener will be retained on the supporting panel in the properposition for screw reception.

An important feature of the above described clip is that it is designedto grip opposite sides of a supporting panel in flatwise relationthroughout a relatively wide range of panel thicknesses. The relativelynarrow arms or strips 13 impose a spring tension for gripping the panel.

This is illustrated on FIGURES 4 and 5 where it will be noted thatregardless of the width of the supporting panel (within reasonablelimits), the panel is resiliently gripped by parallel plate members,Despite the thickness of the supporting panel the not carrying mainplate 15 engages the upper surface thereof in a flatwis e manner. Thisinsures not only the desired gripping engagement with respect to thepanel but also disposes the nut impression in proper position forreception of the screw S. The clip is forced over the edge of thesupporting panel until the lip 16' abuts against the outer edge thereofat which position the locator ear snaps into the hole H and retains thefastener in such position. Thus the hole H has its inner edge spacedfrom the adjacent side edge of the panel a distance slightly greaterthan the distance between the lip 16' and the ear 18. When applied tothe supporting panel with the main plate 15 flatly engaging the uppersurface of the panel and the lower arm 11 flatly engaging the under faceof the panel the nut impression 17 is in the correct position so thatwhen the screw S is applied it will threadedly engage the nut impression17 in a straight line.

Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and choice ofmaterials may be eifected without departing from the spirit of theinvention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a one-piece C-type spring sheet metal fastener,

a lower arm portion in the form of a fiat plate,

an upper arm portion spaced above the lower arm portion,

means integral with said upper and lower arm portions disposed at aboutright angles to said lower arm portion and connecting correspondingedges of said upper and lower arm portions,

said upper arm portion comprising a pair of laterally spaced springstrips inclining from said connecting portion toward and into juxtaposedrelation with said lower arm portion,

a panel integral with the ends of said spring strips, said panel beinginclined away from the lower arm portion and connecting with the ends ofthe spring strips along a line of bend,

and a main plate between the spring strips having one end integral withsaid inclined panel,

and a free end toward said connecting means,

said main plate being normally disposed at angles with respect to bothsaid spring strips and inclined plate and joining the latter along aline of bend constituting a substantial continuation of thefirst-mentioned line of bend and a nut impression, said main plate beingseparate from said spring strips from the free end thereof at least toapproximately the line of bend along which said spring strips connectwith the panel,

said main plate, in the unstressed condition of said fastener, beingdisposed in a plane parallel to said lower arm and with the free endspaced normally below the jointnre between said spring strips and saidconnecting means,

whereby said main plate and said lower arm maintain substantialparallelism when gripping panels of different thickness.

2. A one-piece C-type sheet metal fastener comprising an upper armportion, a lower arm portion in the form of a flat apertured plate, anda connecting portion disposed at about a right angle to said lower armportion, said upper arm portion having a pair of laterally spaced springstrips inclining from said connecting portion toward and into juxtaposedrelation with said lower arm portion, an upwardly and outwardly inclinedpanel extending from the ends of said spring strips, a main platebetween said spring strips free at the inner end and joined to saidinclined panel at the opposite end, said panel having slits on oppositesides of and spaced the width of said main plate respectively to enablespring flexing of the latter, said main plate being disposed in a planeparallel to said lower arm, nut means on said main plate, whereby saidmain plate is disposed in parellel relationship to said lower arm togrip therebetween panels of different thicknesses, and a downturned lipon the free edge of said niain plate for stop engagement with the edgeof the supporting panel to which the fastener is applied.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 2 comprising a locator fingerdepending from said main plate adapted to enter the aperture in thesupporting panel.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim I": comprising a cutout portion insaid connecting portion at the upper part thereof to provide dependingextensions for said spring strips for enhancing the spring actionthereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,230,355 3/1941 Kost l5l4l.752,315,210 3/1943 Kost ISL-41.75 2,672,905 3/1954 Hartman et al l514l.75

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A ONE-PIECE C-TYPE SPRING SHEET METAL FASTENER, A LOWER ARMPORTION IN THE FORM OF A FLAT PLATE, AN UPPER ARM PORTION SPACED ABOVETHE LOWER ARM PORTION, MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID UPPER AND LOWER ARMPORTIONS DISPOSED AT ABOUT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID LOWER ARM PORTION ANDCONNECTING CORRESPONDING EDGES OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER ARM PORTIONS,SAID UPPER ARM PORTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED SPRINGSTRIPS INCLINING FROM SAID CONNECTING PORTION TOWARD AND INTO JUXTAPOSEDRELATION WITH SAID LOWER ARM PORTION, A PANEL INTEGRAL WITH THE ENDS OFSAID SPRING STRIPS, SAID PANEL BEING INCLINED AWAY FROM THE LOWER ARMPORTION AND CONNECTING WITH THE ENDS OF THE SPRING STRIPS ALONG A LINEOF BEND, AND A MAIN PLATE BETWEEN THE SPRING STRIPS HAVING ONE ENDINTEGRAL WITH SAID INCLINED PANEL, AND A FREE END TOWARD SAID CONNECTINGMEANS, SAID MAIN PLATE BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED AT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TOBOTH SAID SPRING STRIPS AND INCLINED PLATE AND JOINING THE LATTER ALONGA LINE OF BEND CONSTITUTING A SUBSTANTIAL CONTINUATION OF THEFIRST-MENTIONED LINE OF BEND AND A NUT IMPRESSION, SAID MAIN PLATE BEINGSEPARATE FROM SAID SPRING STRIPS FROM THE FREE END THEREOF AT LEAST TOAPPROXIMATELY THE LINE OF BEND ALONG WHICH SAID SPRING STRIPS CONNECTWITH THE PANEL, SAID MAIN PLATE, IN THE UNSTRESSED CONDITION OF SAIDFASTENER, BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID LOWER ARM AND WITHTHE FREE END SPACED NORMALLY BELOW THE JOINTURE BETWEEN SAID SPRINGSTRIPS AND SAID CONNECTING MEANS, WHEREBY SAID MAIN PLATE AND SAID LOWERARM MAINTAIN SUBSTANTIAL PARALLELISM WHEN GRIPPING PANELS OF DIFFERENTTHICKNESS.